Waiting for You
by Lovely Lady
Summary: After saving the world, the group dismembers and AVALANCHE is no more. Tifa is heartbroken when her feelings for Cloud aren't reciprocated. Three years later, Tifa has convinced herself she is over Cloud, but Cloud's feelings are much different.
1. A Shattered Heart

**Title:** Waiting for You

**Author: **Lovely Lady

**Genre:** Romance / Drama

**Rating:** T

**Pairing:** Cloud / Tifa

**Summary:** After saving the world, the group dismembers and AVALANCHE is no more. Tifa is heartbroken when she finds that her feelings for Cloud aren't reciprocated. Three years pass, and the group reunites. Tifa has moved on with her life, and has convinced herself she is over Cloud. However, her old feelings are rekindled upon seeing him, and Cloud's feelings for her start to develop.

**Disclaimer:** This is my second fan-fic! I hope all who choose to read this enjoy it. Go Cloud and Tifa! Please read and review. Oh, and before I forget, I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any of the characters. Nope, nobody except Laurence.

**Chapter 1: **A Shattered Heart

"Yuffie and Vincent are getting _married_?" Tifa Lockheart's expression was nothing less than ecstatic. "That's great! I had no idea they had a thing for each other. That goes to show that even the most opposites attract."

"You're telling me." Barret's gruff voice was punishing over the phone. "They're the last two I would suspect getting married. I mean, just look at them. Vincent, the reserved albino vampire, with Yuffie, the midget in a ninja suit."

"Yeah, the descriptions are just about right. Anyways, when is the big show?"

"In about a month. They want a simple wedding; it was Vincent's idea…figures."

Tifa chuckled into her cordless phone. "Oh come on, Barret, leave the poor guy alone. He is older than you…actually, a _lot_ older than you." She smiled with amusement at her comment as she stood up from her chair to turn off the kettle on the kitchen stove. "So, who's the maid of honor?"

Barret rolled his eyes. "Who do you think, Tifa? Of course it's going to be you. What kind of question is that?"

"Sorry, but I figured if I was going to be Yuffie's maid of honor, I would have already gotten word from _her_ mouth, not yours."

"Yeah, about that. Yuffie told me to tell you that she was a little embarrassed to ask. She was nagging on for hours about why I should be the one to tell you." He sighed in frustration. "That girl drives me nuts."

Tifa poured the boiling water into a cup with a tea bag. "You know you love it, Barret. Besides, I've known you for too long; behind that tough and intimidating man is a gentle and sensitive little boy."

Barret rolled his eyes again. "Sure, Tifa, whatever you say."

After throwing out the used tea bag, Tifa walked over to her kitchen table with her drink and sat down with excitement. "So tell me, who's going to be there?"

Panic rose inside of Barret as he quickly tried to dodge the answer to her question. "Uh, you know. Nobody you don't know already."

"Like?"

"Um, Yuffie, Vincent, me, Red XIII, Cait Sith, Cid…Cloud."

And then there was dead silence from Tifa. _Of course he's going to be there, stupid. What made you think he wasn't going to be there?_ Finally after what seemed like hours, Tifa spoke into the phone. "C-Cloud?"

"Yeah, he's taking a break from his 'new life' to celebrate the marriage. Which is something _you_ should be doing. Remember, this is about Yuffie and Vincent…not about you and Cloud." Barret immediately felt regret for his choice of words. But he didn't know any other way to put it. Besides, he wasn't a person to put words lightly; he was a lecture sort-of-man. Any other way just wasn't him.

Tifa, on the other hand, felt terrible inside from his honesty, but knew he was right. So she covered her frown with a smile and a cheerful tone. "Of course, I know that. Cloud and I weren't even anything back then. He's probably forgotten all about me by now…So, I'm going to go to the wedding to celebrate their marriage and nothing else." _Oh God, please let's hope_.

Barret tried to comfort her as much as he could over the phone. _So much for the lecture sort-of-man_. "Tifa, I'm sorry. I know you better than that, and I know what you felt for him. And trust me, he hasn't-"

"Well, I have to go now. It's almost five and I have to make dinner now. I'll talk to you later?" She inhaled while suppressing a few tears. She needed to end this. It was more than she could handle.

He sighed deeply and decided to let her win. "Yeah, you're right. Marlene will want something to eat as well. I just haven't figured it out yet. Oh, and before I forget, the wedding is on the 17th and it starts at two o'clock. Don't be late. You'll have to meet with Yuffie on the 10th to try on your dress, which is in exactly a week. Don't forget."

"Right-o, Mr. Delivery Man. I will not be late nor forget about Yuffie's wedding. I'll see you then, alright? Oh, and send Marlene my love."

"Will do. See you then." And with that, Barret clicked off his phone in exhaustion. _This is going to be one hell of a reunion_.

---

Tifa clicked her cordless phone off. Her day had been going well…until now. _What is wrong with you? You knew he was going to be there, so why would you bother asking Barret? You are so stupid_.

She felt stupid. "Ugh, I don't know what to do." Resting her head in her hands, Tifa tried to think of something else. Before she knew it, she saw him again in her mind.

_Tifa was behind the counter of her bar, 7th Heaven. She had closed the store about an hour ago and was finishing the dirty dishes in the sink. She was alone, and besides the sound of running water, the room was silent. "What an exhausting day." She turned off the faucet and dried her hands on the nearby towel. And then she heard footsteps._

"_Tifa, are you busy?" Cloud's voice was unmistakable. She loved the sound of his voice. She loved how masculine it was; she loved the way he said her name._

_She had loved him since their parting at Nibelheim. She just never had the guts to admit her feelings for him. But she had time. "Nope, I just finished. Do you need something?"_

"_Actually, yes I do. Can we talk for a little?" There was uncertainty in his voice. Cloud never spoke with uncertainty. Something was definitely on his mind._

"_Sure, what's up?" Tifa walked around the counter and sat with him at one of the tables._

_Cloud avoided her gaze and instead looked at the floor. "Well, um, I have something important I want to tell you, no, need to tell you."_

'_What's so important? He looks really nervous…could it be? Is he here to tell me how he feels about me? No, he would never.' Tifa started to feel nervous as well. "What is it? You can tell me."_

"_Um, well, this has been on my mind for quite some time. And I've never had the courage to tell you. But now, I feel like you're the only person I can tell. Tifa?"_

'_Oh my God, is he for real? Is that why he's here? To tell me he loves me? What other reason could it be?' "Yes?"_

"_I…I'm leaving."_

_And then her heart broke in two. "W-what?"_

_Cloud still avoided her gaze. Coward. "I'm going away. I need to get out of here. After all that's happened; defeating Sephiroth…and all of the deaths, I haven't had much time for me. What I'm trying to say is, I'm going to start a new life. There isn't anything for me here."_

_She started to scream before she knew it, and the tears were falling before she could stop them. "But I'm here! I've always been here for you! Why can't you see that?" She sounded so desperate, but she didn't care. "Look at me Cloud."_

_Cloud continued to avert his gaze. "Tifa, please don't cry. Don't make this harder for me than it already is."  
_

"_Harder for you? Oh, you're right, I'm sorry." Sarcasm was pouring out of her lips. "I'm sorry that you haven't kept your promise to me back when we were kids. Oh, but of course, we were only kids. We don't mean what we say when we're kids."_

"_Tifa, you know you don't mean that. Look, I'm sorry that I haven't kept my promise, but yeah, you are right. We were just kids."_

_This time it was Tifa who averted her glance. She stared at a bottle of liquor instead. She whispered the next few sentences, but Cloud heard it as clear as day. "Of course, Cloud. I just don't understand how I could have grown to love someone who doesn't love me back."_

_Cloud finally looked at her. Shock was written all over his face. "Y-you love me?"_

"_Yes, I love you. I've loved you since we were little kids. I didn't realize it was love until now." She looked at him in his eyes. "But now I know you don't feel the same way, and you never have."_

_He didn't know what to do. What could he possibly say? "Tifa…"_

_She started to sob right then and there. She wished she didn't have to look so pathetic in front of him. "I'm sorry that I've grown to love you for what seems like forever and you've never even realized it. I'm sorry that you don't feel the same way for me. I'm sorry that my love just doesn't cut it for you, but Aeris's love was obviously more than enough."_

_The mention of Aeris was what made him angry; there was no doubt in Tifa's mind. He stood up so quickly that his chair was knocked back. She thought that was it, but no, he had slapped her before he had even realized it. "Shut-up! You have no right to say those things about how I feel about her."_

_There was so much venom in his voice. The voice she had loved. Tifa was more shocked than she had ever been in her life. She could feel a bruise forming, but that wasn't what she was shocked about. The fact that she heard from his mouth that he obviously cared for Aeris more than he ever could about Tifa. In all of the time that she knew him, he never once expressed how he felt about someone else. Especially her. She was at loss for words; she just stared at him, wide-eyed and scared._

_That was when Cloud finally realized what he had done. He lowered his hand and all of the anger left his face. "Oh, gosh, Tifa. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean…"_

"_No, you're not sorry. Don't say things you don't mean. And yes, you meant every word."_

"_No, Tifa, I'm-"_

_She turned her gaze back to the bottle and whispered. "Just leave."_

_He didn't say anything else, and from what she heard, the chair that Cloud had knocked over was positioned the right way, and she heard his footsteps slowly fade away. Forever._

Br-ring! Tifa woke from her slumber. She hadn't even realized she had fallen asleep. She grabbed the phone next to her now cold tea. Her head felt like she was spinning. Her voice was groggy when she answered her phone. "H-Hello?"

"Hey Tifa, it's me, Laurence. You sound awful. Did I wake you up or something?"

_Laurence, my best friend_. "Thanks Laurence. Yeah, I was taking a nap. What's up?"

"Oh, I just wanted to tell you that I'm coming by next week. I got laid off from work, so who else would I rather visit?"

Tifa rolled her eyes. "You know if you weren't my friend, I would have taken that seriously, but since I am, I know that you're just trying to find a place to stay for awhile. But I'm going to say, okay."

"Great! You know you're the best. I'll be driving over, so don't worry about waiting for me at an airport."

"Yeah, sure, alright. I'll see you soon." And with that, she hung up on him.

Laurence had been Tifa's best friend for nearly two years; he has always been there for her. She was really glad that he was coming over.

She stood up from the uncomfortable chair and stretched. _Wow, how long was I sleeping?_ Her bones cracked from under all of the weight. Tifa glanced at the clock on the wall, and noticed that it was nine at night. She had been sleeping for four hours. _Whoa, I need to start getting more sleep_. She went over to the kitchen sink and drained her cup of tea. So much for the energy boost.

A strand of her hair fell onto her face. Tifa lifted her hand to tuck it back, when she noticed something wet on her face. It was then she realized her face was covered in tears. How did this happen? She remembered dreaming about something that made her sad, but the rest was just a blur. _What in the world was I dreaming about?_

**Author's Note:** Yay! This is my second fan-fic! I'm continuing to write "Remembering Memories" with Spike and Faye from Cowboy Bebop, so don't worry about me not finishing that (if you've started reading it). I never leave a story unfinished. Anyways, I hope you've enjoyed Chapter One of "Waiting for You." I know I've enjoyed writing it, plus it was longer than some of my other chapters. So, please review. As you know, constructive criticism is good, so don't hesitate. Thanks!


	2. Will This Time Be Different?

**Title:** Waiting for You

**Author: **Lovely Lady

**Genre:** Romance / Drama

**Rating:** T

**Pairing:** Cloud / Tifa

**Disclaimer:** Thanks to all of those who took the time to review! It seems that I might have confused some people with Tifa's dream. I apologize for any confusion; yes, it was an actual event. And yes, I know that nothing of the sort actually happened in the game, but this is _fiction_. Alright, I'll stop talking and let you read, so I hope you enjoy the chapter!

**Chapter 2:** Will This Time Be Different?

2:00 a.m. 5 days later. 

_Bang, bang!_ "Yo, Tifa, open up!" Laurence's muffled voice from behind the apartment door was clearly audible in the empty hallway. Not even after five seconds of waiting, Laurence continued to pound on Tifa's door, waiting for admittance. "Tifa, come on, I'm freezing my ass out here!" Laurence pressed his ear up to the wood, listening for any movement. He heard wood creaking under the weight of a pair of feet and then the sound of several locks being removed from the door. He quickly adjusted his stance and properly stood in front of her door.

The door swung open to reveal a _very_ angry woman. Beautiful, but angry. But her outfit, a soft pink robe with her hair pulled back in a loose bun, only made her look if anything, angelic. "Can you be _any _louder?" Tifa's eyes were the size of golf balls as she harshly whispered to him. "You're going to wake up the neighbors! And what are you doing here? I wasn't expecting you for a couple of days." After completely widening the door to allow Laurence's entrance, she grabbed the few bags he had and retreated to her cozy apartment.

Laurence rolled his eyes and followed Tifa's lead after shutting the door. "Well, first off, it was freezing out there in the hallway. And secondly, I just couldn't _wait_ to see you." The sarcasm was practically dripping off of his tongue.

Tifa practically threw his bags over by her white plush couch. She strode over to the kitchen cabinets and retrieved ground-up coffee beans and the coffee maker. After filling the machine with water and turning it on, Tifa silently walked back to the living room, where she found Laurence sitting comfortably on the couch. She was tempted to ask, "So, what did you do this time to get fired?" but withdrew. Tifa had asked that question too many times to count, and every time she received the same responses: "It got lazy and boring." Instead, she decided on a more pleasant topic. Besides, Tifa hadn't heard from Laurence in almost a month. She missed their long conversations over the phone and their occasional visits with each other. "How's Pam?"

Laurence scratched his head and his gaze guiltily fell to the floor. Uh, oh. "Well, Pam and I broke up." Tifa's look was filled with shock. "I know, I know, almost four months. But I got…"

"Let me guess, bored."

"Well, yeah, Tifa. I'm not going to lie to you. You're my best friend. Plus, she wanted to get _married_. And you know me; the big M word and I do _not_ mesh well together."

Tifa rolled her eyes. Of course, how could she forget? Laurence was the greatest friend in the world, yet one of the biggest bachelors in the world. Yeah, the world. "Okay, I'm _so_ glad that I've been your friend for nearly two years. Is me being your friend been the longest time you've spent with a woman?" She joked as she said this.

But Laurence was all seriousness. "Actually, yeah, it has been." Tifa's startled gaze brought her attention to his face, but he continued. "Seriously, you're the only woman I really feel comfortable enough with." He chuckled in nervousness. "I remember when we first met at the coffee shop. You looked so beautiful just sitting by the window. I really must be crazy to have not dated you." He cleared his throat to change the subject. "I'm still surprised that you don't have a boyfriend. Ever since we've been friends you've never mentioned seeing anyone. How long has it been since you've dated, two years?"

_Three years_. Tifa stared at the vase containing beautiful white lilies. _It's been three years since I've had a date. Three years since I've last seen you._

It was the day after defeating Sephiroth and the whole town was celebrating. But at the time, that night felt like the best moment in Tifa's life. She was actually going on a date with Cloud. Well, technically, it wasn't a date; just a simple party. But Cloud was going to be her escort.

_She quickly readjusted her already perfect black dress as Cloud walked through the doors of her house and strode towards her. He looked simply amazing in his black pants and white shirt. "Tifa, are you ready?"_

'He hasn't even said a word about my dress yet.' She shrugged her shoulders. 'Oh well, I guess he'll say something to me later.' Tifa ecstatically hooked her arm through Cloud's and they silently walked towards the house down the road to celebrate their success.

Little did she know that the following day would be the day he would break her heart and leave her for good.

"Tifa? Tifa?" Laurence's voice woke her from her flashback. "You okay?"

Tifa shook her head to clear the thoughts of her past. "Y-yeah, I'm fine. Sorry about that. What were you saying?"

Laurence shook off her comment. "No, it's nothing; nothing important." He suppressed a yawn. "Anyways, I'm exhausted from the drive. Can we talk more tomorrow?"

"Yeah, no problem. You already know your way around this place almost better than I do, so I'll leave you alone." Tifa strolled over to the kitchen and poured herself a cup of hot coffee. After adding in a sufficient amount of cream and sugar, she sauntered to her quaint balcony.

Once outside, the cold air was harsh against her skin, but the hot coffee rejuvenated her. She sat down on the bench and drew up her knees to her chin. Images of the wedding popped into Tifa's mind as she started to picture Yuffie in a wedding dress next to Vincent at the ceremony. Tifa chuckled at the thought. She imagined Barret's huge frame taking up half of a bench, and Cloud… _No_. Quickly pushing the image from her mind, Tifa stood up and left to go to sleep.

---

"Wow, you look beautiful Yuffie." Tifa stared at the soon-to-be-married woman in her gorgeous white wedding dress. "It's perfect."

"I think this is the one. Oh, I can't wait until the ceremony!" Yuffie quickly turned to Tifa. "Now your turn!"

With a sigh, Tifa grabbed the dress off of the hanger while Yuffie left the dressing room to give her some privacy. Tifa didn't particularly wear dresses. Only really special occasions brought her to wear such clothing. She never really had reason to, until now. Before she could fully look at herself in the mirror, Yuffie rushed in the door.

"Oh my gosh!" Yuffie couldn't have looked happier. "Tifa, you look absolutely amazing!"

Tifa gazed at herself through the full-length mirror. She felt amazing. The maid of honor dress Yuffie had picked for Tifa fit perfectly. It was as if the dress was made for her. "Wow." She looked like a goddess while wearing the sun-golden strapless satin dress.

Yuffie nodded her head in agreement. "We'll take both of these!" She walked over to one of the cushioned chairs and slumped down. "So, what have you been up to lately, Tifa?"

Tifa stepped down from the platform and joined her. "Well, not much. My friend Laurence came by a few days ago."

"Laurence? I don't think I've ever met him."

"Yeah, you wouldn't have. But you've probably heard of him. Does Laurence Wallace ring any bells?"

Yuffie's eyes looked as if they were about to pop out of her head. "Laurence Wallace? _The_ Laurence Wallace? I didn't know you were friends with him! Oh, I'm so jealous of you!"

Tifa giggled at Yuffie's comment. "Yeah, we've been friends for a while. He's such a sweetheart…when he's not being annoying."

But Yuffie didn't seem to be paying much attention to her; her mind was elsewhere. And then an idea popped into her head. "Hey, why don't you bring him to the wedding? I'd love to meet him, and you said he was staying with you, right?"

Uncertainty crossed Tifa's face. "I don't know if that's such a good idea. He's not into that sort of stuff. I'll ask him anyways, but I can't promise he'll show up, okay?"

"Yeah, sure, whatever. Imagine: Laurence Wallace coming to _my_ wedding! Ooh, this is going to be awesome! I can't wait to tell Vince!" But before Tifa could correct Yuffie's assumption, Yuffie had already left the room to purchase their dresses. With a sigh, Tifa looked once more at her reflection. _Will you say something when you see me in this dress? Will this time be different?_

**Author's Note:** Okay! Second chapter completed! I hope to update as soon as possible, so please be patient. Constructive criticism is welcome! I learn a lot from the responses I receive from my readers, regardless of positive or negative feedback.

**To CloudLov3r**: Whether you care or not, I thank you for your comment on my story. It's good to know that not everyone likes my writing. It's not logical to think that just because I receive positive reviews, that _everyone _liked it. So, thanks. Except, I think you could have used a more mature vocabulary rather than "what a load of crap."

But **to the rest of you**, that doesn't mean I don't want positive reviews…no, no, no…bring 'em on!


	3. The Week Before

**Title:** Waiting for You

**Author: **Lovely Lady

**Genre:** Romance / Drama

**Rating:** T

**Pairing:** Cloud / Tifa

**Disclaimer:** Again, thanks for all of the reviews; it only motivates me to write more! Which is a good thing…I hope. To point out to the observant or confused readers, Laurence Wallace is not related to Barret. I know, I'm stupid (out of all of the random last names to pick, I had to pick Wallace). Please forgive me? And just for the record, I do not own anything in this chapter or story except for Laurence Wallace. With that said and done, enjoy!

**Chapter 3: **The Week Before

Cloud had been crouched on the floor while fixing some parts on his motorcycle. Since nine in the morning, he had been working on it nonstop. What time was it now? He dug his cell phone from his pocket and glanced at the time. It read: 4:00 P.M. Time really flew by when he worked on his bike. Standing up to take a much-needed stretch, his knees cracked and his legs throbbed from the lack of blood flow. He needed to have his ride working properly so that when Yuffie and Vincent's wedding was finished, he could immediately return to his duties. What duties? Of 'finding yourself,' Cloud? Give me a break. Since AVALANCHE had split up and Cloud had explained that he was leaving, he had spent three years traveling the world and finding what? Nothing. He had spent the past two days riding to Yuffie and Vincent's wedding and yet he was still pretty far from his destination. So for now he was in some place he didn't know with nobody to talk to. 

Cloud had spent the night in a cheap rundown motel, but he was used to the environment. Since he had been traveling for some time, his budget wouldn't exactly allow him to spend lavishly and extravagantly.

Cloud wasn't upset that he had to ride all the way to Yuffie and Vincent's wedding. In fact, during his exploration, he had felt random feelings of nostalgia at places he went: his moments with AVALANCHE, his memories of Tifa.

Tifa.

How many moments did he think of her since he had said goodbye to her and left that dreadful night? _Too many to count_. Despite Cloud's attempts to banish her from his memory, that one night replayed in his mind, his thoughts and dreams. Sometimes he would wake in the middle of the night in a cold sweat because he would see the pained look in her eyes. Those beautiful eyes.

"_But I'm here! I've always been here for you! Why can't you see that?"_

Cloud shook his head. No, he shouldn't think of her now. Not when he knew she hated him. Tifa would forever hate him. And who could blame her?

_"Yes, I love you. I've loved you since we were little kids. I didn't realize it was love until now." She looked at him in his eyes. "But now I know you don't feel the same way, and you never have."_

What was he supposed to say to that? Cloud had still been upset over Aeris's death, and he was almost positive he had loved her. So why did Tifa have to tell him that?

Before he had been looking forward to his reunion with the group, especially his reunion with Tifa. But he hadn't really thought of how she would react when she saw him, until now. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to agree to come to this wedding. Who needed him there anyways? _Oh, right. I'm the best man._

Before Cloud could reflect any more on the big day, he took a seat on his motorcycle and took off to his destination. Next week's big day was going to be a long one.

---

Tifa's rendezvous with Yuffie had exhausted her to the core and she unlocked her apartment door fully prepared for a nap. She wasn't in the mood to talk to Laurence at the moment, even though they had agreed to talk today. He had told her before she had left for the dress store that he would drop by the market because her refrigerator didn't qualify for his standard appetite.

_"Yo, Tifa, what's up with your fridge? There's barely anything for me to eat in here." Laurence poked his head out of the refrigerator to address Tifa, who was busy reading a book._

_Tifa looked up from her book to respond. "Right…I almost forgot. You don't eat _normal_ food; all you ever eat is pizza and frozen dinners, while all you drink is beer."_

"_That's not all I eat!" Laurence quickly tried to defend himself. "That's just _mostly_ what I eat. I'm usually not picky, but look at what you have in here." He pointed to the food stashed in her fridge. "There's nothing remotely unhealthy in here."_

_Tifa placed her book down on the coffee table, stood up, walked over to her friend and glared at him. "Look, Laurence, might I remind you that this is _my_ apartment,_ my _refrigerator and _my _food. If you don't agree with what I eat and buy, go out and buy your own food."_

"_But I don't know how to go food shopping."_

"_Well, Laurence, I suggest now's the time to learn. Unfortunately, I can't go with you because I have to go meet Yuffie at 12:00."_

_Laurence looked at the clock. "You mean, in ten minutes?"_

_Tifa's eyes bulged as she snapped her head around to stare at the clock. "Oh my gosh, I'm going to be late!" And all Laurence saw was Tifa's fleeting figure race into her bedroom._

But their conversation had been more than a few hours ago. He definitely had to be home, and yet, there was no noise coming from her apartment. Tifa entered her home and quietly shut the door behind her. She shook off her black leather jacket and hung it in her closet with her purse and dress. "Laurence?" Nothing. She spoke again. "Laurence, are you here?" 

"Maybe he met a woman along the way," she said to herself. As she stepped closer to the living room, she saw Laurence sprawled out on her white couch, fast asleep. His soft snoring was actually quite amusing.

Tifa breathed out a sigh, while walking over to drape a blanket over him. When he wasn't with a woman, he was either eating or sleeping. This was one of those rare moments to take advantage of his sleeping form, so she took the time to study his features. His soft chocolate brown hair was a little tousled from the pillow and his beautiful green eyes were hidden beneath his closed eyelids. Tifa stared intently as Laurence's chest rose and fell to his synchronized breathing. His white undershirt did little to hide his built chest. How could he have such a great body and yet eat so unhealthy?

"Wow, I never really noticed how attractive he looks when he's sleeping." Stretching her back, she decided to take a nice long bath. She left for the bathroom adjoined to her bedroom. While letting the water run in the bathtub, she undressed herself and soon after she slowly entered the tub of hot water. Breathing out a moan of appreciation, Tifa shut her eyes and tried to relax. Tomorrow was the big day. Before she could think any more of it, she had drifted off to sleep.

_Tifa had never thought this day would come; this horrible wretched day. The day she would have to close her bar, her 7th Heaven, for good._

"_Tifa, are you sure you want to do this?" Barret had come as soon as he had heard her mention closing the bar. He could be a great friend when Tifa really needed him._

_Tifa had been loading bottles of liquor and drinks into boxes for storage when she had called him. Now that he was here, she had just about finished. She ignored his question. "So, Barret, do you want to take some of this alcohol for yourself? I won't let you have it all, but sure, you can take a box or too."_

_Knowing fully that Tifa was purposely avoiding his question, he let her win for now and answered her question. "Sure, but what are you going to do with the rest of it? Vincent's not much of a drinker and Cloud would only want a box or two. But in case you were thinking, don't give the rest to Cid; he'll become a raging alcoholic if you do."_

"_Yeah, I know. I'll just take the rest with me to my new apartment. And who knows, maybe I'll eventually become an alcoholic too." Tifa's voice was filled with anguish and Barret knew her gloominess wasn't just from closing down her bar._

"_Why are you acting like this? What's wrong?" He walked up to her and took a seat at one of the tables. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"_

_Tears were shimmering on her long lashes. She put on a smile despite her feelings. "I know. Thanks, Barret." And she knew she had to tell him the truth; the truth about her feelings for Cloud._

_For the next hour, Tifa confessed everything to Barret, and he patiently listened to her reveal her deepest secrets._

The smell of coffee woke Tifa from her dream. Noticing at once she was still in the tub, Tifa panicked. How long had she been in there? The water had gone lukewarm and she inspected her fingers. They weren't completely swollen like prunes, but Tifa had decided she had been in there long enough.

Slowly exiting the tub and noticing the sudden chill from the bathroom, Tifa wrapped herself in her terrycloth robe and dried her long hair with a nearby towel. Her hair had been the same length since she was just a girl. _Maybe I should cut it._ Shrugging in indecisiveness, Tifa walked into her bedroom and quickly changed into a pair of gray sweatpants and a white tank top.

After she had finished dressing, Tifa walked to the kitchen, where she found Laurence drinking a cup of coffee at the table. He smiled as soon as her saw her.

"I was wondering when you'd be out of that bathroom. I was starting to get a little worried."

Tifa turned her back to hide a small blush and strode to the coffee machine. "Sorry, I kind of fell asleep in the bathtub." She took a mug from one of the cabinets and poured herself a cup of coffee. After adding sugar and cream, she took a seat across from him and grinned. "Thanks for worrying about me though."

Laurence waved off her comment. "Ah, it's nothing."

Tifa smiled and nodded her head in agreement. Yuffie's request in the dress shop suddenly came into thought. "Oh yeah, Laurence, before I forget, I have plans next week for my friend's wedding. And since I'm going to be her maid of honor, it would look more _presentable_ if someone accompanied me." She frowned like a six-year-old would when they desperately wanted something. "So, would you do me the honor of being my escort?" She laughed inside at the thought of him sitting through a wedding.

"Ugh, I don't know, Tifa. Didn't we just discuss a few days ago about me hating weddings?"

"I know, but Yuffie really wants to meet you, and I'm sure you'd love to meet everyone there. Plus, everyone who's going to be there really means a lot to me. They're like my family." She gave him that familiar pleading look that was impossible to ignore and deny. "Please?"

Laurence sighed in defeat. "Fine." Before he knew what hit him, Tifa ran around the table and gave him a hug.

"Thanks, I owe you one." And as quickly as she had hugged him, Tifa ran out of the room into her bedroom.

Grumbling under his breath, Laurence walked over to the sink to dump out his coffee. His words were barely audible, but the words "women" and "can't live with them" were made out.

---

_12:30 a.m. Yuffie and Vincent's Wedding Day…_

Tifa was nervous. No, she was more than nervous. She was _scared_. She had thought she would feel this way when she was standing at the end of the aisle, but certainly not now. Not when she hadn't even left her apartment yet. She heard Laurence's footsteps approaching from the wooden floorboards, but temporarily ignored them. Instead, Tifa remained seated at her vanity and fastened one of the chandelier earrings on her ear.

Laurence's footsteps halted right behind her. "Tifa, remind me again _why_ I have to go to this wedding." Laurence had been whining nonstop since last week when she had begged him to attend the wedding with her. In the beginning she would have accepted his blatant refusal not to go, but Tifa needed someone to accompany her. Plus, she was having fun watching him whine like a child.

She turned around to face him. "_Because_, Laurence, I already told you a million times. I would feel _so_ much better and safe-"

"Bullshit." Laurence narrowed his eyes and leaned his head towards Tifa's in speculation. "You're lying to me. I know you are. There's another reason that you're not telling me, and I want to know right now." Boy, was he stubborn.

Tifa wasn't going to tell him the real reason yet. "What? Of course I'm telling the truth! What other reason would I have? And why would I hide it from my best friend?" Trying to change the subject, she rose from her seat to pinch Laurence's cheek. "Oh, you're so annoying when you whine like a little boy." She walked over to her full-length mirror to check out her dress.

Falling into her trap, Laurence followed her and unknowingly forgot about his question. "Did I mention by the way that you look absolutely stunning in that dress?" His gaze found hers through the mirror.

Tifa smiled at his comment and fluttered his eyes. "Why thank you, Laurence. I didn't know you would try and use your charm on me."

He lightly punched her in the arm. "Well, at least I know you're not completely immune to it." Then with a grin he said, "Plus, it's not as if any woman can resist my charm."

She chuckled and grabbed her purse on her bed. "We should be going; we have to be there early." And taking his arm, she locked her apartment door and left with Laurence to her friend's wedding.

**Author's Note:** Tah-dah! I'm done Chapter 3! Well, what do you think? I know the story is going a little slowly, but I promise it will pick up the pace. And I'm really sorry for the long update. I've been trying to spend more time on my stories, but it's been difficult. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I look forward to hearing from you…or not.


	4. Words Unspoken

**Title:** Waiting for You

**Author: **Lovely Lady

**Genre:** Romance / Drama

**Rating:** T

**Pairing:** Cloud / Tifa

**Disclaimer:** Thanks for the reviews and the patience! Enjoy!

**Chapter 4: **Words Unspoken

_12:55 p.m. On the road_

"Are we even _close_ to the church?" Laurence's nagging had started every since the first sign of a buildup on the road. And it was driving Tifa insane.

Tifa took one of her hands off of the steering wheel to groan and lightly smack him on the arm. "I've already _told_ you. We're about ten minutes away from it, but with this buildup, I have no idea how long it will take." She motioned to the endless number of cars on the road. "See this? This is what is taking us so long. Do you know what we call this? A _traffic jam_."

Laurence rolled his eyes at her. "Sarcasm will get you nowhere, Tifa." He sighed and was silent for about ten seconds before speaking again. "So who exactly is getting married again?"

"My close friends, Vincent and Yuffie." Her attention turned to the road ahead of her. The traffic had not been moving since ten minutes ago and her car was completely surrounded by other cars, leaving her no space to escape. Tifa wasn't sure if they were going to make the wedding in time. "What is up with this traffic?" She hastily turned on the radio for information on the roads.

"So, anyways, when we do get there, how long–"

"Shh, I'm trying to listen to the radio." Tifa turned up the volume and patiently waited for the weather forecast to finish.

_"—forecast for today will be partly cloudy with severe storms coming up around 1 p.m. It is predicted the thunderstorm will last all night and continue until around 5 in the afternoon the following day. Today is truly a horrible day for a special occasion or gathering…"_

Tifa's frustration level was starting to rise again. "Ugh! Well, not to worry, because the wedding will be great regardless of the weather."

And then they both heard it: the sounds of thunder. The clouds had rapidly turned dark shades of gray and were clustered together, preparing for heavy rain.

_"—traffic buildup due to road construction and an automobile accident. Drivers might as well turn off their engines and take a cozy little nap. I just hope nobody has anywhere drastically important, like a wedding…"_

"Ugh, shut up!" Tifa practically clawed at the radio as she turned it off. "I can't believe he said it again!" She looked over to Laurence. "Can you even believe this?"

Laurence was actually quite amused. In fact, his soft chuckles were turning into huge laughs. He couldn't seem to stop, and after he glanced at Tifa's expression, which was none too happy, he only laughed harder. His unsuccessful attempt at suppressing his laughter was not one bit amusing to Tifa.

"Would you please stop? This isn't funny! Don't you even understand what this means?" Tifa's stern look changed to one of worry. "The wedding starts at 2:00 and Yuffie is counting on me to be there. And with this traffic and horrible upcoming storm…"

Laurence glanced at her face again, but only laughed harder. His words were broken into fragments of a sentence from his gasps for air. "I'm…sorry…Tifa…but it's…just too…funny…" He held his stomach with both hands as he tried to cease his laughing. "You…can't tell me…that this…isn't…the least…bit…funny…"

She looked at his face, which was starting to form tears. Her worried look slowly changed to a small smirk. And the small smirk turned into a huge grin. Before Tifa knew it, her body was shaking in amusement as well.

Together, Laurence and Tifa laughed until traffic started to move again. Which wasn't until the rain had started pouring in sheets and Tifa's legs were beginning to cramp up.

---

Cloud, on the other hand, had arrived to the wedding thirty minutes before the start of the wedding with absolutely nothing to do. He was in the dressing room with Vincent, Cait Sith, Red XIII, Barret and Cid. While they were all adjusting their suits, Cloud had lazily sat down in a comfortable chair near the door.

"Yo, when is this thing starting? I'm starting to get hungry!" Barret's voice filled the entire room and could probably be heard outside as well.

Cid rolled his eyes and angrily pointed to the nearby clock. "We still have thirty minutes, dumb ass!"

Barret walked up to Cid and his face was inches from Cid's face. "What did you call me?"

Before Cid could respond, Vincent held up his hand to silence them. "Both of you be quiet. We'll start early if we have to."

Barret stalked over to a chair next to Cloud's and sat down. The chair almost cracked from his huge body. "But everybody's not here yet."

"What do you mean, 'everybody's not here yet,' there's only like ten people showing up!" Cid's voice was deafening to the other men's ears.

"Tifa." Vincent stopped adjusting the cuff of his shirt to explain to Cid. "Tifa isn't here yet."

Cloud's body froze. Tifa? Wasn't she already here, in Yuffie's room getting ready? Where could she possibly be? The Tifa he knew was always punctual; she even arrived ten minutes before she was supposed to. He didn't want the others to be suspicious of his worries, so he remained silent. However, his concern for her got the better of him and he spoke up anyways. "Did you try her cell phone?" _Good, Cloud. Keep it cool_.

Barret was the first to answer. "Oh, I didn't even think of that! Technology these days; I can't keep up with them." As he searched the deep pockets of his suit for his phone, Cloud had already whipped his out.

"Got it."

Scanning his phonebook for the name, "Tifa Lockheart," Cloud paused. He hadn't called Tifa's phone in, how long? Three years? Now that he thought about it, maybe it wasn't such a good idea to call her. He wasn't sure if he would like the response on the other end. But before he could think otherwise, Cloud had already pressed 'send' and nervously placed his phone up to his ear.

Now that he really thought about it, what would he say to her? 'Hey, it's me. I know we haven't spoken to each other in three years, but, I just felt like giving you a call' or 'Yo, Tifa, it's Cloud. I was just looking through my phonebook and noticed your name and thought it would be a good idea to call.' _Yeah, right_.

As Cloud pathetically rehearsed what he would say to Tifa when she _did_ pick up her phone, he heard her voice on the other line. This was it. _Get ready_. "Hey—"

"Hi, this is Tifa. Sorry I can't get to the phone right now, but if you'd leave a message, I'll get back to you as soon as possible. Thanks!" Beep!

That voice. That beautiful voice. He hadn't heard her voice in three years and yet he couldn't seem to get enough of it…he really missed her voice. Then Cloud felt it; the strong ache in his chest that wouldn't go away. _What is this feeling? I've never felt this before_. It felt like a vice tightening around his heart.

And then he heard another beep on the line. _Oh, God, I didn't even leave a message did I?_ But Cloud knew the truth. He had called Tifa and had been silent throughout the entire message.

---

"Finally, we're here!" Tifa had just pulled into a parking spot at the church and glanced at the time on Laurence's watch. It read 1:50 p.m. "We have to hurry. We're late enough as it is."

As she shut off her engine, Laurence had already stepped out of her car with an umbrella over his head. He ran around to her side so she wouldn't get soaked from the pouring rain. "I thought you might need this!" Laurence had to practically shout over the rain because it was beating down so heavily.

The two of them rushed up the steps to the church, pushed open the grand doors and…saw nobody. Absolutely nobody. The place looked barren and deserted besides the lighted candles in the church. Laurence was the first to speak up. "O-kay, where is everyone?"

Tifa fully stepped into the small church and looked around in the lobby. Not a soul was in sight. However, when she took off her jacket, she heard muffled noises coming from the left of her behind a door. "I guess they're in here." She motioned Laurence to join her.

Laurence turned the knob on the door and forcefully pushed it open. The noise that was obviously from various conversations had ceased when Laurence practically shoved the door against the wall. It was then that Tifa noticed that the noise was from Barret and Cid yelling at each other. She also discovered that Vincent was calmly sitting in a chair, away from all of the bickering. The others were probably wandering around the church, staying away from Barret and Cid's arguing. Smart ones.

As soon as Tifa and Laurence had appeared, though, they were all staring at each other. Barret, of course, was the first to speak. "Yo, Tifa! You finally made it!" He quickly turned to Cid to yell at him. "See? I told you we could count on Tifa to show up!"

Tifa blushed at all of the attention suddenly focused on her. However, she immediately straightened her posture and cleared her throat to speak up. "Sorry, you guys. Traffic is death out there." She paused to gesture to Laurence. "This is one of my great friends, Laurence Wallace." Tifa then gestured to the other three men. "And these are also my great friends, Vincent Valentine, Barret Wallace and Cid Highwind."

While Vincent just nodded his head, Cid addressed Laurence. "Hey, nice to meet ya."

Barret, on the other hand, looked Laurence over before speaking. "Nice last name you got there, Laurence." His expression quickly changed to one of confusion. "We're not related, are we?"

Laurence laughed lightly. "I don't believe so. I don't really have much of a family." He placed a friendly arm around Tifa. "Unless, of course, you count Tifa."

"Count Tifa for what?"

The voice behind the couple was monotonous, but there was some unrecognizable emotion behind it. Although the person standing behind them was just another voice to Laurence, Tifa could recognize that voice anywhere. Cloud's.

Laurence released his grip around Tifa's shoulders and the both of them turned around. Tifa's spine, however, had stiffened like a wooden plank; something that Laurence took into serious account. He was oddly curious as to why Tifa would show such a reaction to the mysterious man with blonde hair, but he would ask her later. Now was not the appropriate time and place. For now, Laurence would give the man the benefit of the doubt and stuck his arm out for a friendly handshake. "Nice to meet you, I'm Laurence Wallace."

The blonde, however, seemed to hesitate shaking Laurence's hand as if his hand was the jaws of death. He finally extended his hand and shook a firm handshake. This guy was a strong one, Laurence noted. The response from the man was simple and straightforward, neither rude nor friendly. He also stared at Laurence dead in the eyes. "Cloud Strife."

---

Cloud couldn't have been more pissed at the moment. He had returned from the bathroom to find a guy with his arm wrapped around Tifa like they were a couple or something! _Wait a second, calm down Cloud. Are you seriously getting upset that Tifa has moved on with her life? You've always wanted that, haven't you?_ No. Cloud didn't want Tifa to move on with her life. He wanted Tifa.

_Wait…what?_ He wanted Tifa? Since when? Since when had he ever thought of Tifa _that_ way? _Since you saw that guy's arm wrapped around her_.

And then he had introduced himself to Cloud. What was his name? Lauren? _Laurence, you idiot, and you knew that_.

They had shaken hands and everyone had proceeded to the ceremony now that Tifa had arrived with _him_. Why was he getting upset like this? This wasn't normal. It was only Tifa, the girl he had grown up with in Nibelheim.

But Cloud just couldn't get the picture of those two out of his mind. Even though he knew he shouldn't be feeling this way, his blood felt like it was boiling in his veins. Was he…jealous? _No, I'm not the jealous type_.

The ceremony had started twenty minutes ago and Vincent and Yuffie were exchanging wedding vows. It was one of the most boring things of his life, standing next to the priest. The only thing that had kept him lasting through these twenty minutes was the sight of her.

Tifa. Her hair was still that long length that he liked and she looked absolutely stunning in that golden dress. It brought out all of her womanly curves…curves that Cloud hadn't really taken into account until now. The voices were droned out from his mind as Cloud continued to stare at Tifa. Of course, Tifa was too busy concentrating on the couples themselves so it was all right that he stared at her, right?

---

She could feel his eyes on her. It felt like she was being inspected under a bright light all alone. Tifa didn't like it one bit…or did she? She didn't want to not like his gaze on her, but a part of her felt overjoyed by the fact that he knew she existed again.

The ceremony was coming to an end and although she knew she should have paid attention to her friends being married, all of her attention was focused on _him_. Sure, she had been staring at Yuffie throughout their vows, but her mind was entirely somewhere else. And then the guilt hit her. What was she doing? _I am over Cloud, remember? Of course I am. I have moved on. I have moved on with my life._

But when Vincent and Yuffie walked down the aisle together, pronounced husband and wife, and she soon followed, she still had trouble convincing herself. _I have moved on with my life_.

---

The storm was still raging when they had left for Vincent and Yuffie's house. The weatherman was right; what a terrible day for a wedding. When they had all reached their home for the wedding reception, Tifa was still reciting those words in her mind. Everyone was in the kitchen, gathering food on their empty plates, but Tifa had fallen behind. She had paused as she had taken off her coat near the front door.

She felt a light tap on her left shoulder and spun around in surprise. It was Laurence. "H-hey, what's up?" That was all she could muster?

Laurence shrugged his shoulders. "Just wanted to ask what you thought of the wedding." He grinned at her. "I, if I may say so, am proud for not having fallen asleep. What did you think of it?"

What did she think of it? How would _she_ know? Tifa had been thinking about Cloud the entire time. But she couldn't tell Laurence that. "Well, um, it was…nice."

"Really? What about it was nice?"

_Curiosity killed the cat, Laurence_. But Tifa flashed him a smile and quickly tried to think of a response. "Everything." _Great answer, Tifa_.

But Laurence continued to persist. "Right, so what did you think of Vincent practically shoving his tongue down Yuffie's throat when they were told to kiss?"

"Vincent did what!" Clearly, she couldn't have heard him right.

Laurence grinned that childish grin of his. "Ha, caught you! I knew you weren't paying attention to the ceremony." He shook his head in disappointment. "And you told _me_ to pay attention at the wedding." And then his curious expression appeared again. "So tell me, Tifa, what was it exactly that you had your mind so focused on during that full 30 minutes?"

Crap, Tifa thought, she was busted. "How did you know?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I can tell when you're mind is somewhere else. I guess it's since I'm such a great friend and keen observer."

Tifa felt a blush creeping up her neck. "Yeah, I suppose so. Well, it's nothing important."

"Oh, no, no. You're not getting off the hook that easily. Besides, you still have to explain what was with your back stiffening when you saw—"

Barret had come up from behind and stuck an arm around Vincent's shoulders. His other arm held a plate full of food. "So are you guys going to eat or what? Because if you're not going to, I'll gladly eat your portions."

_Whew, finally an escape route_. "Yeah, I was just about to grab a plate." And before Laurence could press their conversation further, Tifa had already disappeared into the kitchen. _I suppose I should explain to him when we get back_.

---

Tifa had finally filled her plate with delectable food and turned around to find somewhere to sit. But not before bumping into a certain someone. _Him_. She couldn't just ignore him; that would have been rude. She would just say hello and move on. "H-hello, Cloud."

Piercing blue eyes met her gaze and her body froze. He had such sharp blue eyes. He nodded his head in acknowledgement and responded. "Hey, Tifa. It's been a while."

"Yeah, I suppose. How many years has it been?"

"Three." His abruptness to correct her was extremely shocking to Tifa. He remembered?

She let out a nervous laugh. "Oh, right. If you'll excuse me…" Tifa escaped his gaze before she made a bigger mess of herself. _Stupid idiot_.

Tifa walked over to the counter and poured herself a glass of champagne. Nothing made her feel better than a good glass of chilled champagne.

---

"So, you're the infamous Laurence Wallace." Yuffie had finally gotten a chance to talk with Laurence, and what a cutie he was. Tifa was lucky to have such a good-looking friend. Not as good looking though, Yuffie thought, as her husband.

Laurence lightly smiled back and took a sip of his beer. "Yup, that would be me. But 'infamous?' I don't know about that."

Shock was written all over Yuffie's face. "What? Of course you're infamous. You're _Laurence Wallace_, bachelor extraordinaire."

_Oh, now he understood_. "Riight…I see what you mean by that now." Would he ever escape that title? He took a large mouthful of beer to avoid saying something stupid that he would regret.

"So, I don't mean to sound offending, but seriously, how many women _have_ you slept with?"

He choked on his beer. Hell, what else could he do? Who asks that sort of question? _Well, apparently Yuffie_. However, Vincent, who had quietly approached his new bride, saved him from answering her question.

"Yuffie, I don't think that's a question he'd be comfortable answering. Especially to you; a woman he's never met before." Before Yuffie could protest, Vincent had half-dragged her back to the couch, where they began talking to Cait Sith and Red XIII.

---

The afternoon was withering away and soon, nightfall approached. The rain continued to pour down, but by then, everyone had grown accustomed to it. Besides, the weather had no affect on the mood of the party. The reception was, in fact, a major success. However, Cloud had walked into a secluded room in the other corner of the house. He wanted to be alone for a while before returning to the festivities. Here he reflected on his reunion with Tifa.

Cloud's encounter with Tifa had been abrupt and brief. Too brief, in fact. He didn't have a chance to ask her anything. He wanted to know how she was doing after all of those years. He wanted to know what her relationship was with Laurence.

Cloud had been in the room contemplating his relationship with Tifa, when he heard footsteps approaching on the wooden floorboards. Before he could escape the room, the footsteps had stopped and the unknown person spoke.

"Is anyone in here?"

Tifa?

Tifa's slender form appeared from behind the door. She held a champagne glass and immediately noticed Cloud sitting on a forest green couch. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to intrude." But he stopped her as she turned around to find a different room.

"It's no problem. Come in…if you want." This would be the perfect opportunity to finally talk to her.

"Alright, thanks." Tifa smiled nervously and proceeded to walking to the couch where Cloud sat. She took a seat next to him, although leaving plenty of space between them. "So, how have you been?"

He shrugged his shoulders as if unsure of his answer. "I've been good. And you?" _How articulate, Cloud_.

Tifa smiled and proceeded with a nod of her head. "Great. Everything's been going great."

What were they supposed to say now? He was still really curious about Tifa and Laurence's relationship, but he couldn't ask her now. But his mind and his mouth were completely separated because after an awkward silence had enveloped the room, Cloud blurted out what was really on his mind. His method of saying what he meant and the tone of which he said it was none too polite either. "So, how long have you and your boyfriend been going out?"

---

That jerk! She couldn't believe him! How dare he assume that she and Laurence were going out! When he had asked her that question, something inside Tifa snapped. She had narrowed her eyes in anger and before she could take it back, her lips had blurted out, "Three years."

Tifa could clearly see the resentment hidden behind those fierce blue eyes of his, and was partially glad with his reaction. In fact, she was thrilled. Serves him right!

Maybe stating that she and Laurence were going out wouldn't be such a bad idea after all. Besides, it was his fault he assumed her relationship with Laurence. But her anger overpowered her conscience. So in case he didn't hear her correctly, she made sure to clarify the information. "Laurence and I have been going out for three years."

**Author's Note: **Ahh! That was such a horrible cliffhanger! Anyways, please let me clarify one thing…particularly the whole 'Cloud slapping Tifa' part. In all honesty, I didn't think it would be right for Cloud to have punched Tifa because that would have made him look abusive…although slapping isn't good either… But anyways, in my story, Cloud needed to get his point across to Tifa, partly because of built-up frustration and her brazenness in mentioning Aeris. So if you're angered by the fact that Cloud slapped Tifa, I'm sorry for ruining the story for you.

As for this chapter, when I was writing it, I felt extremely proud of myself. I didn't think it would turn out as good as I expected. However, when I read over it again, it didn't turn out the way that I anticipated. But I hope you enjoyed it, nonetheless. I'd love to hear feedback on how you thought the chapter went. However, since school's starting up again, and finals are quickly approaching, please don't anticipate an update for some time. I'm extremely sorry for the wait!


	5. Realizations and Revelations

**Title:** Waiting for You

**Author: **Lovely Lady

**Genre:** Romance / Drama

**Rating:** T

**Pairing:** Cloud / Tifa

**Disclaimer:** Thank you all for taking the time to review! And a note if you're confused or just curious, this is a Cloud and Tifa story (hence the "Pairing: Cloud / Tifa" above). I'm sorry if you've grown to love Laurence as much as I have. Nevertheless, enjoy!

**Chapter 5: Realizations and Revelations**

"You did _what_?" Tifa had never seen Laurence react this way before. He was just overreacting. Really, the situation wasn't _that_ bad…right? "One moment I'm having a conversation with your friend, Barret, and the next thing I know, you drag me into this room to tell me that you told Cloud that I was your boyfriend. And you can't even explain why you did it."

Okay, maybe it was pretty bad. So Tifa did the only thing she knew would effectively work on her close friend.

"Okay, I know I screwed up, but _please_, Laurence? Can't you just _pretend_ that you're my boyfriend? At least until the after party is over?"

Laurence held his hands in front of him and backed away from her. "Oh, no, no, no. Don't go pulling that '_Please_, Laurence?' crap on me. It's not going to work this time." He shook his head in dismay. "Not until I get some answers on what's going on to justify why you would lie to him."

He didn't have to tell her for her to realize it. She already knew. But Laurence was right; it wasn't fair for her to ask this from him without even explaining the full situation. Tifa just wished she had some way out of the situation. She slumped her shoulders in defeat. "Look, I don't have time to explain everything, but you're right, Laurence. I'm sorry for asking."

Tifa turned away from him and walked out of one of the many guest bedrooms that she had practically dragged Laurence into. After she had stupidly told Cloud that Laurence was her long-term boyfriend, she had panicked and had excused herself from the room. She didn't get a chance to see the expression on Cloud's face, but Tifa didn't really want to know how he had reacted. Before she knew it, she had found Laurence in the living room, talking to Barret. Tifa had rudely grabbed Laurence's hand and had found another isolated room.

And then they had had their conversation.

"Great." Tifa continued to walk through the endless hallway and blindly opened one of the doors to her right. Her mind was in a fog and it took her a while to register where she was. The bathroom. Perfect. After locking the door, Tifa walked up to the decorative sink. She could hear the gradual sound of water as she slowly turned the faucet and splashed her face with cold water.

She gripped the sides of the sink and bent her head forward, staring into space. What was she going to do now? Maybe she should just tell Cloud the truth. Tifa tightened her grip on the sink. _No, you can't. You'll make a fool out of yourself. Since he's going to be leaving tonight and you'll never see him again, why do you even bother?_ The pressure she was exerting on the sink was becoming painful, but she easily ignored it. She couldn't just have him leave without telling him the truth. Besides, lying was the easy way out and Tifa had never lied to him before. Finally acknowledging the growing pain in her hands, she glanced at them to see that her knuckles were painstakingly white. Tifa released her hands as quickly as she turned to dry her face off with the towel behind her.

The towel muffled all sound as she groaned into it. Feeling not the least bit better, she placed the towel back on the hanger. It was plain and simple, Tifa decided: she would just have to tell Cloud the truth. Now all she had to do was find him…and fast.

_Knock, knock!_ Great, how long had she been in there? "Just a second!"

Quickly glancing in the mirror above the sink, Tifa tried to fix the chocolate brown strands that had fallen loose from her clip. Realizing that the person waiting to use the bathroom was probably becoming impatient, Tifa gave up on any attempt at making herself look more presentable. She quickly turned the knob on the door and swung it open to reveal the one man that she planned on talking to. Cloud.

Tifa sucked in her breath and faltered in her stance. She was ready for this…no she wasn't. She would never be ready for this. _Say something, Tifa. Just say something! Don't just stand there while staring right at him!_ Fumbling for words, Tifa finally decided to begin with a casual and light conversation. "C-Cloud, w-what are you doing here?" Her voice was weak and was barely above a whisper. So much for 'casual' and 'light.'

But Cloud didn't seem to notice her surprise. Either that, or he just didn't seem to care. He just put his hands in his pockets and shrugged his shoulders with a blank expression on his face. "I was just waiting to use the bathroom."

"Oh." She should just move to the side to let him pass and then walk down the hall and downstairs, where everyone else was. Where civilization was. Where escape was. No. She needed to talk to him before it was too late. She needed to tell him. She needed to tell him _now_. "Clo-"

"Tifa, there you are." Confused by the unknown voice, both Tifa and Cloud turned their heads to see Laurence approaching them from down the hall.

_Oh, my God. Why did he have to come now?_ Briefly shutting her eyes, Tifa tried to pretend that the situation in front of her was not really happening and was just a figment of her imagination. _This is just a dream; wake up, Tifa. Wake up!_ Opening her eyes, she expected to be in her bed with the sunlight shining in her face. However, all she got was her best friend, Laurence, finally coming to a halt right beside her.

"I was looking for you everywhere, sweetheart." Laurence unabashedly placed a quick kiss on Tifa's cheek that validated their romantic relationship. Or, Tifa should say, nonexistent. However, Cloud didn't know the truth, therefore Tifa's lie about her and Laurence going out were, in his eyes, proven to be true. Even though it wasn't.

But why now of all times? Would she ever get a break? "W-Why were you looking for me?"

Laurence rolled his eyes. "Vincent and Yuffie are asking if you and Cloud were going to say your speeches." When Tifa still retained her confused expression, Tifa urged her on with a motion of his hand. "Your speech, you know, that the maid-of-honor is sometimes required to do."

_Right, the speech that Tifa had been preparing all week_. But how could she leave Cloud with him thinking that Laurence and her were a couple? There was only one thing she could do.Tifa cleared her throat and tried to fix this mess that she had unintentionally made. She turned to Cloud, who seemed unusually quiet the entire time. "Listen, Cloud, I can explain…"

"There's nothing to explain," Cloud replied unemotionally. "Congratulations. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a speech to present." And with that final note, Cloud coolly passed by Tifa and Laurence and walked down the hall, away from her presence and away from her life. Again.

In the background, Tifa could hear a round of applause. Probably to the speeches that Tifa should have honored and listened attentively to. The speeches that required her to say a follow up speech after Cloud. Instead, she was in the middle of a hallway with her "boyfriend" Laurence.

But why was everyone applauding? This was no time for celebration.

---

Cloud could not, no, _would not_, believe it. Tifa had moved on? _Well, what did you expect? Did you expect her to wait for you forever?_

A small part of him said 'no,' but the larger part had been wishing for it to be, 'yes.' Regardless of his feelings, he had to admit that he had liked knowing the fact that somebody still cared for him—that, even though he did not return the feelings, someone liked him anyways.

Although he had never had any romantic feelings for Tifa before, seeing those two together made him uneasy and a little bit jealous. _Jealous? I'm not jealous_. Cloud had no reason to be, but yeah, okay, he was jealous. Really jealous.

Cloud walked down the stairs and decided to join a random conversation with whoever was willing to talk to him. He needed to get his mind off of her. But he was still confused. Why did he care so much who Tifa was dating? And, why was he overwhelmed with jealousy whenever he thought of Laurence with her instead of him? _Because you like her. Admit it_.

Regardless of his feelings, he had no say in the matter because he wasn't the one going out with her. So just what could he do? Nothing, absolutely nothing.

"Hey, Cloud. I haven't seen you all afternoon. You're just in time for the speeches." Yuffie's bubbly voice was too much for him to handle at the moment. "But before you say it, tell us, where have you been since we've last seen you? Which is a while ago, might I add."

"I've been here and there."

"Right…I forgot. Always the quiet one, now are we, Cloud?" She indiscreetly nudged him and joked as she turned to her husband. "Oh, that reminds me—"

Cloud drowned out their conversation to reflect upon the events that had taken place, not too long ago, upstairs.

Okay, so he liked Tifa. So, what? What difference did it make? Either way Tifa didn't feel the same way. But why did the bad things always happen to him? First it was Aeris and her sudden death.

Aeris.

He could still clearly remember what had taken place that day. He could still hear the blade as it easily sliced through her fragile body. He could still see the crimson blood seeping through her pink dress and spreading all over. He could still feel her lifeless body as he gradually placed her in the clear blue water.

After all of this time, he hadn't thought about Aeris in any other way than the day she died. He couldn't even admit to himself that he loved her now.

_Why is it that I haven't thought about Aeris in a romantic way since I decided to leave Nibelheim? Have I betrayed her by forgetting about my love for her?_ Maybe he never loved her. Maybe he mistook his guilt for love. No, that was ludicrous. Cloud was not only unworthy of her love, but he was the lowest scum on the face of the earth. He could just kill himself now. "Oh, God."

Vincent looked over to the obviously zoned-out Cloud. "What's the matter?" he asked in his usual monotonous tone.

Cloud looked up, as if realizing for the first time where he was. "Ugh, nothing, sorry. If you'll excuse me." He quickly walked past the couple and picked up a glass of champagne along the way.

"Cloud, wait, you have to say your—" Before Yuffie could finish her sentence, Vincent placed a hand on her arm.

"Let him go, Yuffie. He obviously has a lot on his mind."

---

Vincent always had a keen eye for noticing the unusual. That was one of the few things that had stayed with him since he had decided to join AVALANCHE. Before his life with his new friends…well, that was the one thing that Vincent never wanted to think about. Ever again.

Vincent's past was his past, and it was best that nobody ever found out about it, especially Yuffie. Since he first met Cloud and the gang, he thought he was lost forever. Vincent had thought that there was no one to help him, until they came along. His life now was completely different than what he ever could have imagined. He actually had friends, the best anyone could ask for. And a wife; why Yuffie ever decided to marry him was beyond him. The fact that she was willing to help him move on with his life and forget about the things of the past was like a miracle he could have never hoped for. She was his angel.

Although he would never tell her that. Surely she understood how he felt without having to actually tell her. Vincent thought of himself as a block of stone: unmovable, unemotional, impenetrable.

Vincent saw something deeper in Cloud that he wasn't sharing with the rest of the group; and he had a feeling it had to do with Tifa's presence. He had always known that Tifa had had secret feelings for Cloud and that Cloud had been completely oblivious to everything at one point. Typical Cloud. Cloud could defeat someone as powerful as Sephiroth, but he couldn't see what was right in front of him.

What caught his attention the most was the fact that Cloud's overall behavior was stranger than what he was used to. Sure, Cloud was known to be on the quiet side like Vincent, but it was something more than that. He had sensed a completely different vibe from him ever since Tifa had showed up in the dressing room this afternoon. Vincent couldn't put his finger on it, but he could almost think that Cloud was…could it be?

He turned his attention back to Yuffie. Instead of using an endearment, as other newlyweds would normally use, he preferred to just call her by her given name. Words weren't as important as actions. Who was he kidding; even if Vincent wanted to call her 'darling' or 'sweetheart,' he had never in his long life been able to speak the words to anyone. And he wouldn't start now. "Yuffie, do you sense anything different about Cloud tonight?"

Yuffie placed her hands on his broad chest and looked up. Even when she was wearing high heels, her face only came up to his shoulders. "Hmm, honey?"

"It's just that Cloud has been behaving differently ever since the wedding. You don't think it involves a woman, do you?"

Yuffie wrinkled her nose, as was her habit when she was in deep concentration, which to Vincent was absolutely adorable. No, Vincent never used the word 'adorable.' It was…cute. No, it was _nice_. _Just admit it, Vincent, you find it completely charming_. "Aw, hell," he said under his breath.

She leaned herself further into the front of his body and slowly moved her hands to his shoulders, giving them a light squeeze—a small display of affection that wrecked havoc on Vincent's nerves. "Well, my darling Vince, if you're referring to Aeris, Cloud has always been miserable since she's been gone. Poor guy."

Obviously Vincent was the one who would have to step up to the plate and fix things around here. Just how, he knew not, but he was not the sort to give up. And he was _absolutely_ not serving as matchmaker. No, he'd rather think of this as repayment for everything that has taken place. He fixed his gaze back to Yuffie. "I was thinking. What if, after our honeymoon, we gather everyone together again to catch up on things we've missed? It's obvious that everyone's missed each other's company and I think it would be great for all of us. Since everything's changed and all." Vincent placed his hands on Yuffie's slim waist and gently rubbed them up and down her sides. "What do you say?"

Yuffie took the opportunity to wrap her arms around his neck and planted a kiss on his beautiful lips. "That would be lovely, sweetheart." She smiled a most glamorous smile and Vincent thought he would surely die right then and there.

Vincent couldn't help but return the smile. "Excellent."

---

"—So we thought it would be absolutely wonderful if you all could take about a week off from work after our honeymoon, so that we can all catch up on things we've missed. My dad gave us a beautiful cabin in the mountains as a wedding present and we would love for you to join us." Yuffie's voice was filled with excitement and it easily reached every corner of the massive family room where everyone was gathered. "We realize that it's such a short notice and we understand completely if you can't fit this in your schedule, but Vincent and I didn't realize how much time has passed since we've all been together like this. It would mean so much to us and I'm sure it would mean a lot to all of you guys, too."

Absolute silence filled the room following Yuffie's speech; everyone was pondering and mentally picturing their schedules. Barret, of course, was the first to speak up. "That sounds great! It'll be awesome to spend the week with everyone, just like old times. I'm in!"

Everyone gradually followed his reply and Yuffie thought she couldn't be happier. "Great! I'll give everyone a call and fill you guys in on the specifics. Ooh, I'm so excited!" She couldn't help but jump up and down a little. No matter if she was married, Yuffie always had room to act like a little girl sometimes.

---

When Tifa got back to her apartment with Laurence, she was absolutely exhausted. The first thing she did was collapse on her back on the couch, not caring about her neatly pressed maid-of-honor dress. Laurence took a seat next to her so that her head was almost touching his thigh. After unsuccessfully blowing a wisp of hair from her face, Tifa looked up at her friend. "So, what did you think of my friends?"

Laurence teased her. "Wait, so you actually have friends other than me?"

"Haha, very funny. But really, what did you think?"

He tapped his mouth with his pointer and pretended to be deep in thought. "Well, let's see. Yuffie and Vincent were extremely welcoming, although Vincent was a little on the quiet side. Actually, he was _really_ quiet and kind of scary."

"Yeah, Vincent has that effect on many people."

"Barret seems like a genuinely great guy, even though he's a really big guy and pretends to be all macho."

Tifa let out a laugh and poked him in the arm. "What, like you?"

He frowned in reply. "I do not pretend to be macho."

"Yeah, okay. Continue."

Deciding to let that one go, Laurence continued his overview of her friends. "Well, the rest of them are really something; Cait Sith, Red XIII, Cid, they all seem friendly enough."

"Did you just refer Cid to as 'friendly'? Oh, if he only heard you." Tifa chuckled as she turned over on her stomach and grabbed Laurence's hand. She started unconsciously outlining the patterns on his palms with her finger.

"And then there's Cloud."

Tifa stopped tracing his hand and seemed to freeze, but only for a second. She tried to put on a blank expression as she looked up at him. "What about him?"

"Well, why don't you tell me? You've been avoiding this conversation all afternoon and I want answers, missy."

"Okay." Realizing that she couldn't avoid it any longer, Tifa released Laurence's hand and sat up straight. She tucked her legs under her and her knees came into contact with his thigh on a diagonal. Tifa tucked the misplaced hair behind her ears, took a deep breath and met his intriguing gaze. "This might take a while."

Laurence shrugged his shoulders in response and briefly looked at the clock hanging on the wall. "It's already way past your bedtime and I'm not the least bit tired." He flashed her a quick smile. "I'm all ears and all yours."

She blew out a breath. "I've never told anyone this, but it all started when I was a little girl…"

---

It was well past four o'clock in the morning and they had each gone through two cups of coffee, neither of them the least concerned with how much time had passed. Laurence listened intently as Tifa poured her heart out and trusted him to keep her feelings a secret. When she was finished confiding in him, he didn't know what to say. "Wow, Tifa, I had no idea."

Tifa continued plucking at her dress and kept her head down. He guessed she was too embarrassed to look him in the eye, which was completely understandable. Tifa slowly began to speak again, "This is so stupid. You'd think that I'd have forgotten about him by now, right?" Before he could respond, it was then that Laurence heard her sniffle. Oh God, had she been on the verge of crying? He gently pushed her chin up with his hand so that he could see her face. What he saw was a pair of sparkling brown eyes filled with tears and on the brink of spilling down her face. Laurence held her face with his hands and wiped away the tears that managed to leak from her eyes with his thumbs. Tifa looked totally and unbearably vulnerable.

Never had he seen such a more beautiful woman. Such were his thoughts as he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. Anywhere else would have been totally unacceptable and out of place, even though all he wanted to do was kiss away her sorrows. Laurence pulled her in for a deep hug and kissed her hair. "Thank you for confiding in me. I can't even begin to imagine how difficult it must have been for you."

He felt so comfortable in her arms and he never wanted to leave. And yet, he knew Tifa was too hurt and needed to be alone instead of with him. Laurence pulled back before he did something even more stupid than kissing her on the forehead. "Tifa, I think you should go to bed. You've been through a lot and I think it would be best for you to just lie down and try to rest."

Tifa nodded and wiped away the rest of her tears with the back of her hands like a little girl. "Thanks a lot for listening and understanding, Laurence. You're such a great friend." She quickly embraced him again and got up to walk to her bedroom.

Laurence remained on the couch, completely dazed with what just happened. Tifa had fallen in love with Cloud when they were just kids and she had been heartbroken when he had rejected her. From her side of the story, he had fallen in love with a woman named Aeris, instead. Apparently, even though she was denying it the entire time, Tifa was still in love with the jerk.

If Cloud could see what Laurence saw in Tifa every day, then he would have never have chosen another woman over Tifa. If Laurence could be so lucky as to have a woman like Tifa, he would never let her go. She was beautiful, intelligent, caring, loving and so much more—everything that a man could ever ask for.

Laurence turned around to see Tifa smiling at him as she turned around to close her bedroom door. He returned the smile and kept it on his face until she had completely shut it. Then the realization hit him hard and his face completely dropped. He was falling in love with Tifa Lockheart.

**Author's Note:** Yeah, yeah, the cliffhanger keeps on getting worse and worse—well, at least to me it seems to. And yes, I'm going to work on Cloud and Tifa's relationship when they get to the mountains, but it's been so tough with Laurence in the story. I've grown to love Laurence's character and can't seem to make him turn into a bad character; it's not in his nature to be evil. (Sigh). I don't know what I'm going to do with Laurence. I'm sure I'm not the only one who's half tempted to make this a Tifa/Laurence story, but I absolutely adore Cloud/Tifa and I already promised it would be one. So sorry to those who love Laurence too and want him to end up with Tifa. Laurence is such a doll, though, so I don't know what I'm going to do (this problem is similar to Jake in "Remembering Memories," although I haven't found myself to love Jake as much as Laurence).

Regarding Vincent's involvement, I decided—last minute—to add his feelings in. Normally I wouldn't put a side romance in, but I think it will be interesting to see Vincent's POV with his feelings for Yuffie. Also, I realized, after reading his part, he sounds OOC, but I couldn't help it.

As for the extremely slow updates, what can I say other than, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"? I think I've already said this before, but it takes me a lot longer to write something than it takes others. My mind is slow, I guess, and I'm still working on the storyline as I go. So, please, I beg of you, please continue to be patient with my updates. I thank you all for your wonderful reviews, though. Enjoy the rest of summer while it lasts!


	6. Unbearable Embarrassment

**Title:** Waiting for You

**Author: **Lovely Lady

**Genre:** Romance / Drama

**Rating:** T

**Pairing:** Cloud / Tifa

**Disclaimer:** Thanks to everyone who left reviews and thanks to all of my readers! Sorry for the long wait, but I thank you for your patience and willingness to stay with this story! Enjoy!

**Chapter 6: Unbearable Embarrassment**

Tifa woke from a deep sleep to the smell of delicious, deep roasted coffee wafting in from the kitchen. She smiled to herself as she thought of Laurence, whom she could picture right now with his severe bed-head, making the delicious coffee that always put her in a good mood. Just the smell of it made her want to spring out of bed. With these thoughts, Tifa rose from her comfortable queen-sized bed and stretched her arms over her head.

It had been quite some time since she had consistently gotten a good night of sleep; of course, she had Laurence to thank for that. It seemed that she had a lot of things to thank him for. It had been almost a week since Vincent and Yuffie's wedding and since then, Laurence had tried keeping her mind off of Cloud and the little get-together at the newlywed's cabin in the mountains.

She thought about how much Laurence had helped her through the tough times as she walked over to her adjoining bathroom and quickly brushed her teeth. Even though her and Laurence had been friends for quite some time now, Tifa still felt the need to at least make herself look presentable and not someone with bad breath and bed-head herself. Plus, it was just plain good manners.

Apparently Laurence didn't feel the same way because when Tifa finally finished brushing her teeth, pulled her hair back into a loose bun and put on her soft pink robe, she stepped out to the kitchen and saw Laurence's derriere dressed in white boxers poking out of the refrigerator. The opened refrigerator door was in the way and prevented her from seeing the upper part of his body that was leaning into the fridge, but she could still easily see his legs. _Wow, I've never notice how muscular Laurence's legs are_. As her gaze gradually worked its way up, the worst possible thing in a situation like this could have happened. Laurence stood up and glared at her with a questioning brow over the refrigerator door. This questioning look quickly turned into a lazy smirk.

"So, I take it you are thoroughly enjoying yourself?"

Tifa couldn't help but blush madly as she rushed over to the hot-brewing coffee. Even though she could still feel Laurence's eyes following her, she purposefully avoided his gaze. Tifa cleared her throat. "You know, you _could_ put some clothes on now and then." She was grateful that when Laurence did stand up to meet her gaze, he had also been wearing a white undershirt.

Despite her obvious embarrassment, Laurence was reveling in it and couldn't help but poke at her a little. "Well now, that statement does not back up what I just saw you doing. _You_, Tifa Lockheart, were clearly, undeniably, _indisputably_ checking me out."

She had turned her back to him as she grabbed a mug from the cabinet and started pouring herself a cup of coffee. When she heard his comment, she scoffed. "Yeah right, Laurence. I was _not_ checking you out. I was clearly just surprised that you are comfortable enough in my apartment to strut around in just your boxers and undershirt."

Laurence grabbed the orange juice he had been searching for and closed the door with his foot as he walked beside Tifa to grab a glass from the top cabinet. He smiled widely and chuckled. "Now, for all of the years that you have known me, you know that I'm most comfortable when I'm in my boxers." He hesitated for only a second. "But I wouldn't blame you for checking my ass out, anyways. Women have often complimented my backside."

Tifa sighed and turned to stare back at him. She ignored the latter part of his statement. "Are you sure you want to tell your future girlfriends that you're most comfortable _in_ your boxers?"

He only rolled his eyes. "Okay, well _besides_ being naked. But I didn't think you'd appreciate it if I was walking around your house nude…unless you're really interested," Laurence jested.

When Tifa didn't respond and, instead, just turned to grab the sugar from the pantry, Laurence continued. "Oh, come on, Tifa. You can't tell me that you're comfortable wearing clothes on all of the time." He drank from his orange juice. "Tell me you've at least slept naked before. Either with a boyfriend or by yourself."

Tifa looked over her shoulder and glared at Laurence. She gave a firm, "No."

Laurence looked shocked. "What? You've never even thought about it?"

After grabbing the sugar, Tifa walked back towards Laurence and her coffee and set them both on the counter. She let out a deep breath and seemed to hesitate before answering. "Look, I don't really feel like discussing right now if I think about sleeping naked in my bed, _with_ or without someone else in it. Now can we talk about something else please?"

Okay, so he'd let her off the hook for now. To save her further from the discomfort Tifa was already consumed in, if that was possible, Laurence nudged his head towards the refrigerator behind him. "Okay, your refrigerator is out of food. Should we go out for breakfast?"

Somehow, Tifa was not surprised that the food in her refrigerator was almost completely gone. Laurence ate just about anything. She turned back to her coffee and stirred some sugar in. "Fine, we'll go out for a quick breakfast. Then, you and I are going to go shopping." When she knowingly saw Laurence's face fall, she smirked and repeated herself. "Yes, that's right. You heard me correctly, Laurence. _We_, which is plural word, are going _shopping_ for the _entire day_. Since you don't have a job right now, you really don't have an excuse."

Laurence was sputtering for words. "What? Well what about _your_ job? How do you live in an apartment as nice as this and have extra money to go shopping if you don't even go to work? Do you just show up whenever you feel like it?"

Tifa placed down her stirring spoon and took a hearty sip of her delicious coffee. She put down the mug with a smile. "I took the next few weeks off when you told me you were staying here. And, besides, they don't need me there right now anyways. They were actually glad I was taking a small vacation, considering I haven't had one since I was employed."

With that said, Tifa breezed past Laurence with mug in hand and called out behind her, "You have thirty minutes to get ready for breakfast and a serious day of shopping." Before she had completely disappeared into her room, she turned around to make sure he was listening. Laurence was busy giving her a scowl, but that meant he was indeed listening. Before turning around again, she chuckled and looked down at his boxers. "And for God's sake, put some pants on!"

---

Laurence wasn't going to admit it yet, if ever, but he was actually having fun shopping with Tifa. Which was weird, considering that all of his other girlfriends that had tried taking him shopping were extremely whiny and demanding. Plus, they made him carry their bags. Tifa didn't have a problem carrying her own, although Laurence relieved her of some of them after they started consuming her body.

They had spent a majority of the day laughing and recalling stories of their past while they browsed through an endless number of stores. Tifa had bought a new winter coat, among other things, and a purple wool cap with a flower on it, which she was wearing now. Laurence thought she looked adorable.

The two of them had just gotten out of a clothing store, where Tifa had bought at least $700 worth of clothes, and had finally sat down on a nearby bench for a quick rest. The streets were still wet from the night's previous rain, but overall, it was a beautiful morning to spend outside. Tifa had grabbed her water bottle from her purse and offered it to Laurence. When he politely shook his head, she took a long swig from it and twisted the cap back on. She twisted towards him among the many bags that surrounded them. "So, are you dead as of now from all of the shopping?"

He hesitated before he answered and considered his choices carefully. If he quickly replied that he was having a great time, which he was, Tifa would get this great big smile on her lovely face and want to take him for five more hours of intense shopping. But, if he said he wasn't having fun, Laurence knew she would joke about it saying that it wasn't that bad, but on the inside feel a little disappointed. Laurence didn't want her to be upset, plus he _was_ having a good time, so he decided to be honest and said, "Yeah, it's actually a lot more fun than I'd expected."

And just as he expected, Tifa's face blossomed into a smile. "That's good to hear because I'm having a great time too." They continued smiling at each other when suddenly Tifa jumped off of the bench and gathered up her bags. "Okay, well then, if you're really having that much fun, why stop now?" She started strolling down the sidewalk to the next store.

Laurence shook his head and chuckled briefly before standing up and gathering the rest of the bags near his feet. When he had caught up to Tifa, who was a fast walker, he noticed that she had stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. As he approached her, Tifa suddenly spun around and smiled nervously. "Alright, well, I'm sure you could use a little break from me. How about you go to the bookstore across the street and I'll just finish up some of my shopping in another store." She looked really embarrassed, despite her sad attempt at covering, whatever she was covering, up. "I'll meet you right here in an hour, sound good?"

He wasn't stupid and he also knew that Tifa was the worst at hiding things, but he spared her further embarrassment and pretended to roll along with her plan. "Okay, I'll be across the street in one of the stores if you need me. Plus, I have my cell on me too." Since it was obvious that Tifa was waiting for him to make the first move and leave, Laurence turned to cross the street. While crossing, he briefly glanced over his shoulder to see Tifa walking into one of the stores. When he tried to read what the store was, a car to his left honked, so Laurence picked up his pace and nearly ran to the other side of the road to avoid being run over.

---

_Whew, that was a close one_. Tifa obviously felt embarrassed if she was shopping for lingerie with Laurence around, so she was relieved to find that he was at a safe distance in a different store. She had been browsing for a good thirty minutes now and had found quite a number of items on sale. She thought about what they had been talking about back in her apartment about her not sleeping naked.

The truth was, Tifa pondered, was that she preferred sleeping in her bra and underwear. She had, more than once, considered trying to sleep in a bed naked, but she felt too self-conscious. As for sleeping naked with a _guy_, well she had never been in that situation before and didn't think an opportunity like that would arise any time soon.

She stepped out of the dressing room, deciding to purchase at least ten pairs of underwear and five bras. Yeah, Tifa thought, she was a virgin. She had never really thought about _doing_ it with someone other than Cloud when AVALANCHE was still together. But even then, the thought had never crossed her mind and she had never met anyone that had made her _want_ to.

As she walked up to the cashier and placed her undergarments on the counter, a picture of Laurence suddenly popped into her head. Wait, where had _that_ come from?

---

After spending about five minutes each in about seven different stores, Laurence had almost completely given up on shopping entirely. He felt absolutely no point in being in a store where he did not buy something. So as Laurence sighed and blindly walked into the adjacent store, he didn't notice it was a jewelry store until the bright lights reflecting off of the diamonds struck him in the eye. When he finally noticed his surroundings, an immediate thought popped into his head. Wasn't it Tifa's birthday soon?

As he browsed through the store, he didn't notice anything particularly eye-catching that was also not worth his arm and leg. The cases were filled with magnificently cut diamonds, sapphires, rubies and emeralds that were placed onto necklaces, bracelets, earrings, rings, etc. Laurence continued to scope for the next couple of minutes until he noticed a yellow diamond bracelet displayed to his far right. He went up closer to inspect it, and immediately he was enraptured by its simplistic beauty. He knew that if he were to buy something for Tifa, it would have to be pretty simple; she was not one to wear glaring and over-excessive jewelry. He, as well, preferred the same on her. "It's perfect."

When an elderly salesperson approached him and asked if he was interested in the bracelet, Laurence gave him a smile and nodded. "Oh," said the salesman, "that's a fine one you've picked out. Very classic and _very_ beautiful."

Laurence could not have agreed more. Although he found out it was a bit pricey, at the same time he knew that Tifa would absolutely love it.

After he had gotten everything settled and had paid the friendly salesman, the bracelet was placed in a classic velvet and rectangular box. The box was then put in a small bag and given to Laurence. He thanked the man and left the store with a smile on his face.

He knew that Tifa hadn't really ever gotten a serious birthday present, even though she would never admit to it. Even her parents who were dead now, she had admitted to him once, hadn't given her any special birthday parties when she was young. So Laurence had to admit that he couldn't wait to see her reaction later.

Laurence glanced at his watch and noticed he still had ten minutes until he was supposed to meet up with Tifa. He didn't feel like shopping anymore, now that he'd bought that bracelet for her. So he crossed the street and went looking for the store he last saw her go into. Since that car had honked at him earlier, he hadn't been able to make out the name of the store that Tifa had entered, but when looking at the possible choices, he immediately recognized the pink background on the sign over the store. It was a…lingerie store?

Oh, wow. Laurence had not been expecting this. So he grinned like a little boy and couldn't help but peek into the store window to see if she was still in there. What he saw was what seemed like a million racks of colorful bras, underwear and a whole bunch of other transparent, lacy, satin, velvet undergarments worn to seduce a man like him (it wasn't like he didn't recognize the items in there after being with so many women). None of the items that he could pick out were in the slightest foreign to him. He quickly scanned the rest of the store and noticed Tifa walking up to the counter. Laurence couldn't wipe the grin off of his face for the life of him as he casually opened and entered the store full of colorful lingerie.

---

"That'll be $250, miss," the young and petite cashier said in her high-pitched voice as she smiled up at Tifa and started neatly placing her undergarments in a pretty pink bag. Yikes, Tifa thought, she had never spent so much at this store in one shopping day. Oh well, she took advantage of the sales and was overall happy with her many purchases. Tifa started searching through her purse for her wallet, but after some time, for some reason she couldn't seem to find it. She murmured a quick apology to the lady as she started pulling random things from her purse and placed them on the counter. _I really need to sort through my purse and empty some needless stuff_.

Just as she felt the corner of her leather wallet and started pulling it out, she must have knocked off her sunglasses from the counter because she heard a clatter on the ground. Tifa groaned as she bent down to pick it up, but as she was squatting, she came into contact with a pair of legs in jeans and muddy brown boots. She knew only too well whose those dirty boots belonged to, because she had yelled at him this morning for wearing them in her recently cleaned apartment. _Laurence_.

She was more embarrassed than anything at being caught by Laurence in a lingerie store, as she quickly snatched her sunglasses from the floor and practically hit the counter when she was rising to stand up. Not until she stood completely erect was she prepared to burn up from humiliation and angrily confront Laurence for following her in the store. Tifa expected to meet his emerald green eyes and see a smug look on his… But no. Laurence wasn't even looking at her. He was too busy _flirting_ with the cashier. _Ugh, the nerve of him!_

From the looks of it, she should have just stayed crouched on the floor forever because regardless of where she was, neither of them would have noticed her at all. No, Laurence had leaned his elbow on the counter and was using his masculine charm that every woman was infatuated by, with his lazy smile and dazzling eyes. And the girl over the counter wasn't helping! She was too busy being giggling and being ensnared by Tifa's best friend that Tifa could have well stormed out of the store with her stolen lingerie.

After yanking the credit card from her bulky leather wallet, Tifa conspicuously cleared her throat and practically poked the young woman in the eye with her card. Finally grabbing the woman's attention, who looked as if she just got out of a trance, blushed violently and reached out to grab Tifa's credit card.

But before she could do that, a hand gently grasped Tifa's arm and pulled it away from the cashier's reach. Laurence's husky voice filled the silence in the store, "Let me get that for you, hon." He pulled out his own credit card from the wallet in the back pocket of his jeans and offered it to the lady.

Tifa turned to him and glared at him. "Are you kidding me? There's no _way_ I'm letting you buy me…"

"You know, you're absolutely right…"

Tifa let out a sigh of relief and was about to give the still-blushing lady her credit card, when Laurence spoke up again.

"I should at least know what's in a bag before I buy something. I believe I'm going to have to approve whatever it is you're buying, Tifa. I wouldn't want to spend my money on something useless, after all." Before she could react, Laurence was already snooping through the pink bag full of her bras and underwear.

Shocked, Tifa snatched the bag away and gave Laurence a purely evil look. She was too shocked, in fact, to say any words at the moment. The grin on his face was larger than any she had ever seen. Tifa just wanted to take her bag, crawl up in a hole and stay there until the end of time. Apparently that was a sign for big-mouth Laurence to continue talking. "I most _definitely_ approve, Miss Tifa. Those items are most definitely _not_ useless. You know, for someone who doesn't even sleep _naked_, I'm a bit surprised that I saw so much lace in there, missy."

Fumed beyond belief, Tifa continued to stare at him as he gracefully slipped his credit card to the giggling saleswoman. It took her a matter of seconds to complete the transaction as she slid Laurence the receipt to sign. He gave the young woman a grin as he quickly scribbled his signature, was given back his credit card and took the bag of _Tifa's_ lingerie. Tifa was still in the same spot she was in even when Laurence had started walking towards the door. "Sweetie, are you coming or not?" And then because he couldn't seem to stop himself, he added, "Don't tell me you want to buy even _more_ lace than what's already in this bag. I don't know if my paycheck covers that, honey."

Enraged, Tifa finally started stalking out of the store. As she caught up to Laurence, she angrily snatched the bag out his hands and continued stalking past him and down the street. Her shopping was _over_. Tifa did not even bother looking back to see if Laurence was following her. When she finally reached her apartment, she stormed up the stairs and clawed through her purse and found her keys.

Quickly unlocking her door, Tifa yanked the door open. Not even bothering to close it, she stampeded into her room and slammed the door behind her, locking it. A few seconds later, she heard Laurence's chuckling echoing in her apartment as he closed the apartment door behind him and dropped Tifa's shopping bags on the floor. She faintly heard him yell to her, "Hey, Tifa, you can't honestly tell me that the scene in the store was _not_ funny."

Sitting on her bed and now feeling completely humiliated, Tifa heard footsteps approaching her bedroom door. Laurence tried joggling the doorknob, but upon realizing it was locked, he lightly knocked on the door. "Hey, Tifa, are you okay?" The first time he said this, a trace of laughter was still hinted in his voice. When Tifa didn't respond, the laughter in his voice had vanished and his voice was suddenly filled with concern.

---

As he stood outside Tifa's bedroom behind a locked door, Laurence softly swore under his breath. God, he hadn't meant to embarrass her that badly. Laurence had only started flirting with that salesgirl because he wanted to see Tifa riled up a little. But then, when he peered into Tifa's bag of lingerie, he had been a bit surprised to find colorful assortments of lace and satin. It had shaken him up a little too much, in fact, that he didn't know what to do with that sudden rush of desire for her. So, how did he react?

Laurence immediately regretted how much of an ass he had been in the store. He knew that Tifa was shy and sensitive about certain things, but he had continued to plow on anyways. It was going to take a while for Tifa to come out of her shell and approach him again.

With a deep sigh, Laurence tried again by knocking on Tifa's door. "Listen, Tifa, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to embarrass you or make you angry. I just got a little carried away, that's all." He paused and waited for a reply. "Will you forgive me?"

When he heard no answer, Laurence gave up and walked over to the living room and collapsed on the white couch that he normally slept on. He felt genuinely sorry for what he had done and hoped that Tifa was willing to forgive him.

Laurence peered out over the couch to the clock in the kitchen and saw that it was already 7:30 PM. He settled back on the couch and decided to rest his eyes for a little bit. As soon as he closed his eyes, however, an image of Tifa in black lace lingerie filled his mind. Laurence forced his eyes open and exhaled deeply. It was going to be a long night.

---

Laurence woke up the next morning all groggy from a restless sleep. He had dreamt about Tifa. And about lingerie. And about lingerie on Tifa. Disregarding the fact that sunlight filled the apartment, from the silence, he took it that Tifa was still sleeping. However, when he checked the watch that he hadn't taken off last night, he noticed it was 10:32 AM. Tifa was a morning person and never slept past 8:00.

Confused, he rose from the couch and was about to go the bathroom down the hall when he noticed that Tifa's bedroom door was open. Laurence walked over to the open door and peered in. Tifa wasn't in her bedroom or her bathroom. Confused, he turned around and started making his way to the bathroom when a small white piece of paper caught his eye lying on the black counter.

Laurence walked up to the note and rubbed his tired eyes before he read note neatly written cursive.

_Laurence,_

_I went out to run some errands. If you get hungry (which I'm sure you will), eat whatever's left in the refrigerator that you haven't already consumed. I'll be back around 12:00._

_Tifa_

_P.S. Don't make a mess in my apartment._

Surprised and grateful that Tifa hadn't completely bashed at him in the note, Laurence walked to the bathroom near the front door to brush his teeth. He had nothing to do but wait until Tifa's arrival to fully and properly apologize to her.

---

Tifa, yet again, scrambled for her keys in her crowded purse while struggling to hold all of the grocery bags in her hands. Laurence must have heard her approaching, because he had already opened the door and had taken the bags from her arms before she even realized it.

Relieved from all of the heavy bags, Tifa followed Laurence into her apartment and shut the door behind her. As Laurence made his way into the kitchen and began unloading the items into the cabinets and refrigerator, Tifa was surprised at his silence throughout. Unless something was really troubling him, Laurence was almost never silent. She hung her coat in the closet and called out to him. "Hey, Laurence. Are you okay?"

When he didn't answer, Tifa began to get worried and walked over to the kitchen where Laurence had paused from unloading the groceries. "Laurence?"

He looked up at her and there was nothing but sorrow in his eyes as he stared back at her. Tifa walked over to him and peered up at him. He was so tall that the top of her head just reached his shoulders. "Hey, Laurence, what's the matter?"

Finally, Laurence spoke so softly that Tifa almost didn't catch what he said. "How can you still tolerate me after what I did to you yesterday?"

Bewilderment crossed Tifa's features. _What? He was still obsessing over that? Over what had happened yesterday?_ "What are you talking about?" She reached up and cradled his face with her right hand. "Why are you still hung up over that?" When he continued to look at her that way, Tifa continued. "I was just overly embarrassed at the time, but that's all."

When Laurence still didn't look convinced, Tifa tried smiling and tried making light of the situation. She didn't like seeing Laurence so sad. "If _I_ can move on after what happened yesterday, I'm pretty sure you can too." She paused. "Did you hear me? I forgive you for what happened yesterday because I know you were just joking. I know you weren't being serious, so let's just move on with our lives, now, shall we?"

---

Laurence couldn't believe it. Tifa had actually forgiven him and moved on. That was one of the things that he admired about her. That was one of the many things that he loved about her: her willingness to forgive and forget. Laurence continued staring into Tifa's beautiful brown eyes and cherished the feeling of her soft hand on his cheek.

These emotions that Laurence was feeling were too much for him to handle. He had never experienced this kind of warmth welling up in his chest as he continued gazing at Tifa. Although Laurence had felt the similar feelings last week right after Tifa had told him about her relationship with Cloud Strife, since then his emotions were pretty much controlled. And now they were back again.

Laurence couldn't believe that an extremely caring and considerate woman like Tifa was touching him in a way that no one woman had ever succeeded in doing. He knew that Tifa probably didn't reciprocate his feelings, but at the moment all he could think about was her. About how beautiful and amazing Tifa Lockheart was.

These were the only thoughts that filled Laurence's mind. These were the only thoughts that continued to spin in his head as Laurence lowered his head and touched his lips to Tifa's.

**Author's Note:** Ahhh! After so much time has passed since I've written a chapter, I'm extremely proud to say that I absolutely love it! And I actually finished it through one sitting; usually it takes me longer. However, the thoughts just kept leaking out of my head and I was afraid I would lose my thoughts if I didn't write it down. Okay, so thank you so much to everyone who has shown nonstop patience for these chapters. Yes, I realize that it didn't have Cloud in it or any other character except Tifa and Laurence. (Sigh) This means trouble because this chapter made me fall even _more_ in love with Laurence. How sad is it for a writer to fall in love with her _imaginary_ character?

Anyways, I'm starting to wonder if my chapters are even funny or sad or heart-wrenching at all, and I'm wondering if I'm the only one laughing at some of these parts in the chapter. If you experienced any kind of emotion/s when you were reading this chapter or the previous ones, for that matter, (no matter what those emotions may be; even if you feel hatred, let me know) please leave a review stating how this story has affected your emotions. I know, major-ly lame, but I think that it will help me in the future because I certainly don't want to be laughing at something I wrote and have readers not even flinch! Also, if you find my story too cliché, please mention that in a review so that I can be more aware of it in the future and try not to do it again.

As for the future chapters, don't worry; I have much larger plans for the plot and outcome of the story. There's a bunch of twists and turns and a whole lot of heart-wrenching emotions in-between. Enjoy and please review!


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